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There could be wall ketchup over Musk at some point, and it's enjoyable to dream of a Trump deportation dragnet which includes Musk.  In the America I used to imagine I lived in, Musk's offer to rape Taylor Swift might have been sufficient to motivate Congress to look into him being an undesirable worth purging.  

Edited December 20, 20241 yr by TheVat
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39 minutes ago, swansont said:

Naturalized, after illegally residing here, and which conceivably could have been revoked if he falsified immigration documents. But I doubt that will happen now unless he really angers Trump.

Heh heh.

1 hour ago, TheVat said:

 

(unforeseen page break - this replies @swansont post on previous page which the edit function won't let me access)

There could be wall ketchup over Musk at some point, and it's enjoyable to dream of a Trump deportation dragnet which includes Musk.  In the America I used to imagine I lived in, Musk's offer to rape Taylor Swift might have been sufficient to motivate Congress to look into him being an undesirable worth purging.  

You’d think the violation of his security clearance protocols would raise eyebrows. You have to report all contact with foreign nationals, and he neglected to do that. 

 

1 hour ago, swansont said:

You’d think the violation of his security clearance protocols would raise eyebrows. You have to report all contact with foreign nationals, and he neglected to do that. 

I know that this thread is US-focused, but Musk is likely already interfering with other elections around the world. Not sure whether there are any regulations against that, though.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/elon-musk-gives-nod-german-far-right-party-election-looms-2024-12-20/

 

2 hours ago, CharonY said:

 

I know that this thread is US-focused, but Musk is likely already interfering with other elections around the world. Not sure whether there are any regulations against that, though.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/elon-musk-gives-nod-german-far-right-party-election-looms-2024-12-20/

 

Other countries are less enthralled and entangled with the US’s unholy conglomeration of billionaires and its embracing oligarchy and authoritarian rule, and might do something about it. (South Korea’s impeachment proceedings, for example

23 minutes ago, swansont said:

Other countries are less enthralled and entangled with the US’s unholy conglomeration of billionaires and its embracing oligarchy and authoritarian rule, and might do something about it. (South Korea’s impeachment proceedings, for example

To some degree that might be true, especially with regard to billionaires, but there is a trend towards authoritarian parties which are financed by billionaires, but who portray themselves as for the working class. The Austrian far right (FPÖ has repeatedly won elections and, as many right-wing parties and they are (allegedly) supported by Russia. In fact an undercover report showed how the leader of the party was open to bribes from a fake Russian oligarch. That government collapsed but the same party won the recent elections again....

I think you are right that overt billionaire support is less attractive, but they can throw a lot of money around without people noticing.

CR passed the house with the modifications Musk wanted, but without the debt ceiling increase Trump wanted. Happy happy fun fun!

20 hours ago, swansont said:

CR passed the house with the modifications Musk wanted, but without the debt ceiling increase Trump wanted. Happy happy fun fun!

Congress did at least partially reinstate the $190m of stopgap funding for the Gabriella Miller Kids First paediatric cancer research program which was cut completely in the Musk/ Trump perversion of the original bipartisan CR

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219839534

Apparently even the most die-hard moral imbeciles in the Republican caucus belatedly realised that cutting a major research program into childhood cancers, and cancelling the federal spending debt limits in order to fund trillions of dollars worth of tax cuts for Trump-friendly billionaires didn’t provide the best optics for the GOP going forward into the new year.

https://commonfund.nih.gov/KidsFirst

14 minutes ago, toucana said:

Congress did at least partially reinstate the $190m of stopgap funding for the Gabriella Miller Kids First paediatric cancer research program which was cut completely in the Musk/ Trump perversion of the original bipartisan CR

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219839534

Apparently even the most die-hard moral imbeciles in the Republican caucus belatedly realised that cutting a major research program into childhood cancers, and cancelling the federal spending debt limits in order to fund trillions of dollars worth of tax cuts for Trump-friendly billionaires didn’t provide the best optics for the GOP going forward into the new year.

https://commonfund.nih.gov/KidsFirst

“The house has already passed this bill, but it was held up by Rand Paul in the Senate for months.”

Who had Vivek Ramaswamy? Will not be a part of the “department” of government efficiency 

Not sure he was ever "in," beyond being a placeholder at DOGE while he was figuring out whether to run for Senate or governor.  Sounds like he's picked governor.  Musk can strut around pretending to be the DOGE prince as he has flunkies turn in vague reports on government waste that are handed to Trump who will never read them.  Musk will continue on in his role as Groom of the Stool.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groom_of_the_Stool

 

13 hours ago, TheVat said:

Not sure he was ever "in," beyond being a placeholder at DOGE while he was figuring out whether to run for Senate or governor.  Sounds like he's picked governor.  Musk can strut around pretending to be the DOGE prince as he has flunkies turn in vague reports on government waste that are handed to Trump who will never read them.  Musk will continue on in his role as Groom of the Stool.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groom_of_the_Stool

 

LOL +1, pretty much anyone can be/are rewarded with such a prestigious role, although it would be a difficult conversation with one's mum, to persuade her of the upwardly mobile nature of the position.

13 hours ago, TheVat said:

Not sure he was ever "in," beyond being a placeholder at DOGE while he was figuring out whether to run for Senate or governor.  Sounds like he's picked governor.  Musk can strut around pretending to be the DOGE prince as he has flunkies turn in vague reports on government waste that are handed to Trump who will never read them.  Musk will continue on in his role as Groom of the Stool.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groom_of_the_Stool

 

That could be an important job if the rumours about TFG's lack of bowel control have any substance. Perhaps @JohnDBarrow can tell us more? 

How long until his leavings are sold or auctioned to doting fans?

A new currency called $hitcoin

4 minutes ago, swansont said:

How long until his leavings are sold or auctioned to doting fans?

A new currency called $hitcoin

There is no space for satire in this world anymore.

Quote

PARIS/SINGAPORE, Jan 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's new crypto token soared to more than $10 billion in market value on Monday, while enthusiasm over his crypto-friendly administration helped briefly lift bitcoin to a new record.

Launched Friday night, Trump's so-called "memecoin" surged from less than $10 on Saturday morning to as high as $74.59 before giving up some of its gains on Monday. The token, branded $TRUMP and criticized by ethics experts, was last trading at $33.88, according to cryptocurrency price tracker CoinGecko.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/trumps-new-crypto-token-jumps-ahead-his-inauguration-2025-01-20/

8 minutes ago, CharonY said:

There is no space for satire in this world anymore.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/trumps-new-crypto-token-jumps-ahead-his-inauguration-2025-01-20/

I knew about $trump, and $melania had already wafted its way to my nostrils.

3 hours ago, CharonY said:

There is no space for satire in this world anymore.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/trumps-new-crypto-token-jumps-ahead-his-inauguration-2025-01-20/

Haha, all the MAGA suckers will pile in too late, at the peak,  and then it will crash and they will all lose money. That will be jolly funny. I wonder if @JohnDBarrow has bought any. 

Edited January 21Jan 21 by exchemist

Cryptobros are apparently pissed off, since they were hoping to legitimize their scam, and this does pretty much the opposite.

Anyone wondering when the Musk/Trump rift would happen, here you go…

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-blames-musks-criticism-decision-cut-ev-tax-credits-2025-06-05/

7 minutes ago, swansont said:

Anyone wondering when the Musk/Trump rift would happen, here you go…

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-blames-musks-criticism-decision-cut-ev-tax-credits-2025-06-05/

The fallout has happened sooner than I thought.

Edit: Reading Musk's X account, he's going straight for Trump's jugular and said the Epstein files aren't being released because Trump's in it. He's also put up a poll asking "Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?".

Edited June 5Jun 5 by StringJunky

1 hour ago, StringJunky said:

The fallout has happened sooner than I thought.

Edit: Reading Musk's X account, he's going straight for Trump's jugular and said the Epstein files aren't being released because Trump's in it. He's also put up a poll asking "Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?".

I wonder where he and the other Afrikaners will be deported.

5 minutes ago, Peterkin said:

I wonder where he and the other Afrikaners will be deported.

Yup. I think Bannon already suggested deportation. Perhaps others have, too.

It would certainly be interesting, should Musk leave the country for some reason, what happens on his return. Miller is running the deportations, so there’s added drama with his wife’s antics

Maximus famous line in "Gladiator" popped into my head. Are you not entertained?

1 hour ago, Peterkin said:

I wonder where he and the other Afrikaners will be deported.

In 47's present mood, probably the Falklands. I'm sure Starmer will be happy to oblige.

I just want to chime in and say that I hope the Big Beautiful Bill passes.

Why? The bill will get worse with more cuts. Any change makes it even worse.

1 hour ago, TheVat said:

In 47's present mood, probably the Falklands. I'm sure Starmer will be happy to oblige.

At $15,000,000, I can't blame him. But I'd hold out for American prison guards.